, 1887-01-25

two have not seen each other since their
arrival at the penite ,tiary and hence have
not possibly schemed together, the
penitentiary oficias seem perfectly salts
fled of Dewitt's innocence. and the gov
ernor has granted his pardon. He is a
boy not yet 20 years of age and has a
frank open face.
Following is the chaplain's letter to
Mr.. Morgan in which he explains the
reasons why he thinks the young man is
innocent, etc:
CHApLAIN's OFFICE,
ILLINOIS STATE P~ENITENTIARY,
JOLIET, ILL.,, Jan. IL. 1887.
To His Ercedency The Gorernor OF
WYOMING Territory. DEAR SIR The
officers of this institution have become
considerably interested in a young man,
Frank Dewitt, recently received at this
prison from your territory. There are
many things combining to show that this
unfortunate young man is a victim of cir
cumstances over which lfo had no control,
but is innocent of the charge upon which
he was sent here. 1t seems that some
time in the early part of last July he was
making his way to a brother living in
Montana, whose name and address is j.
S. Dewitt. Junction, Montana black
smith and wagon maker. Having become
acquainted with hickman in the town of
Douglas, he was granted permission to
to travel with him as far as he went, some
sixty miles. On the morning of decamp-
ing he found the hackman had another
passenger named John Miller-a man
whom he had never seen before. They
had Travelled together about two days
when the wagon broke. Miller then sug-
gested that they proceed on their journey
on foot. After travelling some distance
they were overtaken by another hackman
whose cart was empty. The boys asked
for Il ride, but were refused. On entering
town that evening, the boys separted,
Dewitt having met a friend who was
gathering up a load of return freight, who
offered Dewitt a place to sleep in his tent.
being tired, he gladly accepted his offer
and soon retired. Miller, determined to
get even with the hackman who had re-
fused him a ride, that same night made
an assault, in company with another and
much taller man than himself. The as
saulted man described the two men, and
they tried in vain to find the missing man.
Having secured Miller it was finally de-
veloped that Miller came to town with a
companion in the person of Dewitt, who
was arrested and held as an accomplice,
although a much smaller man than Miller.
On the preliminary trial the assaulted
man could not and did not identify Dewitt
as the guilty party, but it seems that on
the final trial he swore Dewitt was the
man. Miller stoutly asserts this boys
innocence, and will make any affidavit to
that effect, and. in fact, did declare the
boys innocence before the court, but the
Jury gave his testimony no weight. This
boy comes of a good family, and the
straightforwardness of his story leaves an
impression of truth upon its very face. IF
there is any force in the legal maxim, 1T
is better that ninety-nine guilty men es-
cape than that one innocent man should
be punished, y then, in this case, it
seems to me executive clemency might be
exercised with, to my notion, more than
n,a chance -, a.a L,,.l.nl A.. - -
cent man was being delivered from an I'M
deserved doom. In all Of the above, our
warden, with fourteen years experience
among criminals, fully c%oncurs, being
impressed almost beyond a doubt of this
boys innocence. He is only 10 years old.
| presume at nc distant day his friends will
make an appeal for executive clemency and
hence | have written what our impress
sions in this case are. | might say that
such cases are rare when everything
seems to point to innocence, az in this
case. Trusting that when this matter
shall be presented before your excellency
you may be disposed to give this boy the
benefit of any doubts, if you have any.
| remain yours, ETC.,
j. j. WALTER, Chaplain.
=. S. He was received here Nov. 20,
1886, IRON Albany county, Wyoming
Territory. He says the states attorney
anne to see him before he left and prof
fered all the help he could to secure his
nardop Tho iudga aa;d ba baJ ~, Jo,kt